I had my rotator cuff repaired over 20 years ago and can assure you my healing path was not a linear one. Also, 7 months is still very early, my surgeon told me it would be about 18 months until full recovery, but for me, it was around the 24-month mark. I was also advised, that when I felt pain, yes continue to do a little bit more, but not for too long...if that makes sense.
All the best in your recovery. We all want to get back to our pre-op level and I'm sure you will, you just need to be patient...and I think we all struggle with that.

TKDNJ, thanks for keeping this thread going for so long and I'm seriously sorry to hear you're having to go through this again. That'd stress the )_#(*$ out of me!

I also created an account only because of the usefulness of this thread. I am not a bodybuilder, but a marathon ocean paddler (surfski). This ended up wearing through my supraspinatus, resulting in a 3cm retracted full tear, successfully repaired 7 months ago. The biceps tendon was intact, a little frayed but left alone.

After 7 months I am back paddling, but only slowly, maybe at 50-60% capacity, no sprint or wave work. I am training 1-2x / day, working on strength, endurance etc. I should point out that I continue to see my physio and am only building within the parameters I am given by my medical team / surgeon.

So, whilst I feel I am making progress, I also feel that I am at times going backwards. I tell myself that this is because I continue to increase the amount of activity and load. At times it does feel like there is a setback of some kind every couple of weeks.

This week, for example, I am back to having mild but very annoying tingling in the area where the deltoid meets the tricep. It brings back horrible memories of the kind of pain that started this whole thing in the first place. Last night it woke me up, though nowhere near as bad as pre-surgery - a new, hopefully very temporary and highly unwanted experience.

I don't mind working through pain, though it is unnerving to think that I could be doing myself permanent damage. What I want to know is whether this is all normal? Do all of us that go through this have these periods where we regress, where tingles, aches and pains come back a few days here and there? Do we all have the mental anxiety that makes us question if we will ever get better?

My physio keeps telling me that so far, my rotator cuff journey has been the "premier A grade experience". Goodness me, but I'd hate to think about what an economy class ticket looks like!

Here's to staying strong.

Feens

Hi Feens - it sounds like you're just experiencing the ups and downs of recovery. Don't forget, as an ocean paddler you are putting much more demands on the healing shoulder than most people. You will be healing for a long time, and will be vulnerable to inflammation here and there as you push more and more. My shoulder felt "good enough to lift weights" at about 4 months, felt "almost normal" at about 8 months, but not "perfect" until about 18 months. Also, there were certain movements that felt perfect way before other movements. It's been almost 3 months since my other (my left) shoulder was done, and I am prepared for the ups and downs of recovery. Thanks for the good thoughts! Good luck!

It's nice to know this is "normal" for shoulders. It certainly is up and down. I've had a reasonably good week this week - feeling almost normal, getting my ocean miles up. Then, tonight, just a bit too much with a dumbbell overhead, tiny tweak, bit of inflammation, and back to taking it easy for a few more days.

Finally, everyone probably has their own version of these sorts of exercises, but I believe that since I started doing the exercises in the link below daily (always after a workout, apparently never before, Ive been told it could be rotator-cuff suicide!), I've noticed some serious improvements in comfort and I think performance too.

Oh, I'm not allowed to post links yet. Bummer.

try googling "1 1 Theraband Strengthening Exercises These resistance" .. it's the mass general link, first one for me.

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